Crusaders claim Hawaii state baseball title
St. Louis High School players celebrate after receiving the first place trophy following Saturday's finale of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Division I Championship at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui.
By MATTHEW THAYER
The Crusaders of Oahu's St. Louis High School defeated the Big Island's Waiakea High, 5-0, Saturday night to win the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championship Division I tournament title at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui.
Coached by former Major League player Benny Agbayani, and led by his son, outstanding shortstop Bruin Agbayani, unseeded St. Louis proved it was the class of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) tournament with wins over Kamehameha Hawaii, 5-1, No. 2-seed Mililani, 5-2, No. 3-seed Kamehameha Maui, 6-1, and No. 4-seed Waiakea.
St. Louis High School 's Bruin Agbayani is tagged out by Waiakea catcher Tycen Baruela while trying to stretch an RBI triple into an inside the park home run in Saturday's championship final.
Senior lefthander Lincoln Pang tossed a complete game three-hitter for the Crusaders Saturday. It was the first state baseball title for St. Louis since 2014. Graduating senior Bruin Agbayani has signed to play for the University of Michigan, but is also expected to go as high as the first round in this year's MLB Draft.
St. Louis High School head coach and former MLB player Benny Agbayani gets doused after his team’s win in the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championship Division I title game Saturday night at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui.
In Saturday's third place game between two teams from Maui, Kamehameha Maui topped Baldwin High, 7-4. The contest saw the coaches empty the benches to pay tribute to their seniors and give their reserves a chance to see state tournament action.
Unseeded Baldwin High was involved in one of the most exciting games of the tournament Thursday, squeaking out a 1-0 win over top-seeded Kamehameha Kapalama. Baldwin scored on a first-inning error, a muff on a grounder to the left side of the second baseman. And that would be the only run in this pitchers’ duel. Kamehameha Kapalama outhit Baldwin, 5-1, but also had three errors to Baldwin’s one.
Baldwin High School's Marley Sebastian scores in the first inning against Kamehameha Schools Kapalama in the quarterfinal round Thursday of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championship Division I tournament at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui. It turned out to be the only run in Baldwin's 1-0 victory over top-seeded Kamehameha Kapalama.
Sebastian celebrates after scoring.
Baldwin’s lone boot came with two-out in the seventh and final inning. After it put runners on the corners, a walk loaded the bases. Baldwin head coach Craig Okita went to the mound, but decided to ride the arm of his starter, sophomore right-hander Jayden Perry-Waikiki, and left him in the game. Perry-Waikiki got a long fly to deep left for the final out. The Bears’ bend-but-don’t-break performance in the thrilling game brought a collective sigh of relief from the hometown fans at Maeahara Stadium.
Baldwin High School's Jayden Perry-Waikiki releases a sixth-inning pitch in his complete-game, 1-0, win over top-seeded Kamehameha Schools Kapalama in the quarterfinal round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State
Baldwin High School players celebrate their thrilling, 1-0, win over top-seeded Kamehameha Schools Kapalama in the quarterfinals.
Baldwin found itself on the wrong end of another 1-0 score Friday when it lost to Waiakea in the semifinal round.
Note: It takes a lot of work to put on a four-day tournament that hosts schools from around the state. Hats off to all the people behind the scenes who made the event possible, especially the county crews that prepped the field between games. Stadium namesake Iron Maehara and longtime volunteer Warren Shimabukuro would have been proud. I photographed two games for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and you may have seen some of these photos on its pages. For more coverage, check out the stories written by Star-Advertiser Sports Reporter Paul Honda.
Kamehameha Maui head coach Shane Dudoit shakes hands with Baldwin High players after Saturday's third place game.
Kamehameha Maui's Noah Pacheco pitches in the fourth inning Saturday against Baldwin High.
Kamehameha Maui players cheer teammate Kaina Cua after his RBI double in the fifth inning of Saturday's third place game.
Baldwin High's Devin Inokuma dives back to first Saturday as Kamehameha Maui's fields a fifth-inning pick-off throw.
Kamehameha Maui's Raecen Velez pitches Saturday against Baldwin High.
Baldwin High School third baseman Jevon Raboy charges a fifth-inning bunt by Kamehameha Schools Kapalama's Eleu Colburn Thursday in the quarterfinal round.
Baldwin High School shortstop La'akea Ko forces out Kamehameha Schools Kapalama's Logan Akaka at third base Thursday on a fifth-inning bunt in the quarterfinal round.
Kamehameha Schools Kapalama shortstop Kiai Sylvester (18) and second baseman Logan Akaka lobby for an out call on a fourth-inning steal attempt by Baldwin High School's Kaedyn Miyake-Matsubayashi in Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championship Division I game at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui Thursday. Miyake-Matsubayashi was called out.
St. Louis High School head coach and former Major League player Benny Agbayani shares a tearful embrace with son Bruin Agbayani after title win.
St. Louis High School pitcher Lincoln Pang pitches in the fifth inning in his complete-game win against Waiakea High School in Saturday's championship final.
Kamehameha Schools Kapalama's Logan Akaka singles to lead off the seventh inning against Baldwin High Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championship Division I game at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui Thursday. He had three hits in the game.
St. Louis High School catcher Chase Sutherland throws out a Waiakea runner in the fifth inning in the championship final.
Baldwin High's Eli Nouchi slides into third with an RBI triple in the fifth inning Saturday against Kamehameha Maui.